'Alien' (1979) - Film Review

Alien (1979) [Original Film Poster]

This review analyses Ridley Scott and Dan O'Bannon’s well-known sci-fi Alien (1979), explicitly focusing on the subject of Barbara Creed’s theory of the monstrous feminine and how this relates to character of Ellen Ripley within the film. This review will be referring to the work of Creed and her book ‘The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis’ (1993) exploring what monstrous feminine is and looking into how Creed argues against Freudian concepts around women.  While also looking at Charlotte Newman’s writings on monstrous feminine in her essay ‘Has the monstrous feminine contributed to the feminist movement with contemporary horror films since the release of Teeth (2007?)’ (2015) showcasing thoughts and views on Creeds argument. Also taking into consideration the work of Dan Stephen’s’ essay ‘Essay: Women in the Horror Film – Ripley, the Alien & the Monstrous Feminine’ (2010). The review will explain the meaning of Creeds monstrous feminine, with her argument on Freudian concepts. Then using the character of Ripley as a prime example of how this idea has been reversed show this throughout Alien (1979).

Alien (1979) focuses on the story of a future in which a crew on a space merchant vessel receives an unknown transmission, which they then investigate.  The crew soon realise they have stumbled on a new life form, that impregnate, infest and murder the crew leaving only one female survivor Ripley *Sigourney Weaver* to fend for herself and ultimately destroy the life form that had killed the rest of the predominately male crew. (Dimakorou N/A)

Figure 2- Professor Barbara Creed, author of ‘The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis’ (1993) (2013)

Monstrous feminine is a popular interpretation that conceptualises women as portraying the role of victim with the fil genre of horror. This expression was invented by Creed (see fig 2) as it indicates the significance of gender in relation to the make of her monstrosity, also refraining from the term ‘Female monster’ as it undermines the importance of the meaning as it would be a role reversal on the term ‘Male monster’.

Creed went on to develop this theory from Mulvey’s male Gaze that was used within cinema to depict women with in fill simply for the pleasure of male viewers. Similar to Mulvey, she was a Marxist feminist film critic. Yet she based her theories around slasher and horror films which she then created multiple works on. (L. Lavers. (2013)) Creeds publications include a wide range of work focusing on subject of cinema, feminism and psychoanalytic theory. One of her most acclaimed works is her publication ‘The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis (Routledge, 1993) (see fig 3)

Figure 3 – Barbra Creed ‘The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis’ (1993) [Book]

In the publication, Creed addresses and analyses the role of women within the genre of horror, challenging the dominant view that’s set women within the position of victim within many horror films “Barbara Creed’s the Monstrous Feminine is a book which challenged and still challenges the patriarchal view of women as victim within the genre of horror movies. It evaluates in depth the genre and leans towards the theory that the female body, specifically reproductive body was the beginning of all monstrous designations.” (C. Newman 2015) In doing this Creed testifies that the feminine is depicted as monstrous stemming from its mothering functions, which was mainly due to the concepts put in place by Sigmund Freud.

Creed shines a light on a feminist perspective on the psychology-oriented analysis. Creeds arguments tend to attack the concepts of Sigmund Freud, such as the concept of the human psyche.  Creed seeks to dismantle the assumptions Freudian concepts through use of horror referencing multiple horror films within her publication. “Her argument disrupts Freudian… theories of sexual difference, as well as existing theories of spectatorship and fetishism in relation to the male and female gaze in the cinema” (Nielsen Book (N/A)) This is clearly shown through her opinions on Freuds analysis of the story of Medusa. (see fig 4)

Figure 4- Medusa (2018)

Within the terms of the story the Freud believed that Medusa decapitation was symbolic of being castrated. “The terror of Medusa is thus a terror of castration that is linked to the sight of something”. (B. Creed Cited Freud 1993) This follows the Freudian concept of a boy, who realises his fear of castration upon the sight of female genitals surrounded by hair, essentially a mother, linking to Medusas hair which is also seen in terms of Freud to be phallic.

Creed argues that Freud dismisses the vaginal significance of the snake as a symbol. Along with this the coiled snakes in a circle, with its tail (phallus) and mouth (vagina) is a symbol of bisexuality found in cultures that Freud once again pushes aside. (B. Creed 1993)

Creed also mentions Alien (1979) within her publication. However, all roles are completely reversed within the film. The character of Ripley is viewed as a strong, independent and powerful. She is quick witted enough to survive and outlive the rest of the crew. The males shown within the film are largely passive, with most of the characters dying almost instantly, with those who are left till later following her orders. This is shown within the film as all dramatic, action and tension seem to surround her character, while the male characters are weak.

Figure 5- Ellen Ripley in uniform Alien (1979) [Photo]

Not only is Ripley’s personality within the film shown to be very strong and masculine, but this is also shown within her appearance (see fig 5). Both female characters are presented wearing astronaut uniforms, in a way in which doesn’t display the ‘sexualised’ female figure, reflecting back on the idea of Mulvey’s male gaze that Creed based her theory around on monstrous feminine. It could then be argued that Alien (1979) is a pro-feminist film, due to the still remaining underlying anxiety of castration that Creed investigated. For example, Ripley survives, destroying the Alien, allowing it to be decided that ‘woman’ is not punished or saved by ‘man’. (D. Stephens (2010))

Figure 6- Ellen Ripley the last crew member to survive and defeat the Alien Alien (1979) [Cropped Still]

Alien (1979) went against all troupes around women within horror in the sense of Freudian theory. In films before men usually punished women for creating their fear of castration, he guilts is then sealed through the punishment or instead occurs through salvation, whether this be through being a victim through death (monstrous feminine) or marriage to the male lead. In the case of Alien (1979) they went with neither, as she does not get punished in death and has salvation without male protagonist, he salvation is instead brought by herself. (see fig 6) It could then be argued that the thing that could have killed her wasn’t male either as it is unknown to what the gender of the Alien was.  (D. Stephens (2010))

However, in terms of Creed, she would argue that they are the monstrous feminine as they still had maternal instincts, while impregnating crew members. The only other trial she had to face was battling the computer on the space merchant ship, that was known as ‘mother’ “The first primal scenario, which take the form of a birthing scene occurs in Alien (1979) at the beginning, when the camera/spectator explores the inner space of the mother ship. This exploratory sequence of the inner body of the “Mother” culminates in a long tracking shot down one of the corridors which leads to a womb like chamber where the crew of seven are woken up from their protracted sleep by Mothers voice”. (B. Creed (1993) (see fig 7) This suggests the Ripley was up against another woman as well.

Figure 7- The crew sleeping in the mother ship (1979) [Still Cropped]

To conclude, Creeds expression monstrous feminine gave a new feminist insight on horror cinema, while arguing against different points such as Freudian concepts. This idea was reversed within Alien (1979) with there being a female lead that instead wasn’t conceptualised as weak, unlike the surround male characters. Yet, Alien (1979) is still viewed as a perfect example of monstrous feminine even though some characters go against it “Scott's film epitomised what she refers to as "the monstrous feminine". It trades in classic Freudian imagery (penis-shaped monsters; dark, womb-like interiors) and shudders at the bloody spectacle of childbirth. Here is a horror film made by men that exploits a particularly male fear of all that is female.” (X. Brooks 2009) While empowering women, the film still managers to capture the monstrous feminine. (D. Stephens (2010))

Harvard Illustration List

Figure 1- Alien (1979) [Original Film Poster] Imdb. (N/A). Alien (1979). Available: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/  Last accessed 8th.

Figure 2-- Professor Barbara Creed, author of ‘The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis’ (1993) (2013). N/A. (2013) Available:  https://www.witchofkingscross.com/interviews/ Last accessed: 8^th November 2018

 Figure 3 – Barbra Creed ‘The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis’ (1993) [Book] Barbra Creed. (2011). The Monstrous Feminine (Barbara Creed 1993). Available: https://studiesinfiction.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/55/  Last accessed: 8th November 2018.

Figure 4- Medusa (2018) C. Hastings. (2018). The Timeless Myth of Medusa, a Rape Victim Turned Into a Monster. Available: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/qvxwax/medusa-greek-myth-rape-victim-turned-into-a-monster  Last accessed: 8th November 2018

Figure 5- Ellen Ripley in uniform Alien (1979) [Photo] Fusion Magazine. (2014). Alien’s Ellen Ripley and NASA’s Anna Fisher. Available: https://www.fusionmagazine.org/aliens-ellen-ripley-and-nasas-anna-fisher/ Last accessed 9th November 2018.

Figure 6- Ellen Ripley the last crew member to survive and defeat the Alien Alien (1979) [Cropped Still] Dr. P. Piispanen. (N/A). Ellen Ripley. Available: https://www.writeups.org/alien-3-sigourney-weaver-ripley-8/. Last accessed 9th November 2018.

Figure 7- The crew sleeping in the mother ship (1979) [Still Cropped] S. Anthony. (2014). Humans will be kept between life and death in the first suspended animation trials. Available: https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/179296-humans-will-be-kept-between-life-and-death-in-the-first-suspended-animation-trials  Last accessed 10th October 2018.

Bibliography

C. Newman. (2015). ‘Has the monstrous feminine contributed to the feminist movement with contemporary horror films since the release of Teeth? (2007)’  [first draft]. Available: https://misslolanewman.wordpress.com/2015/06/28/feminism-the-monstrous-feminine-in-modern-horror-first-draft/ Last accessed: 8th November 2018.

Dimakorou. (N/A). Alien (1979) Plot. Available: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/plotsummary  Last accessed 9th November 2018.

D. Stephens. (2010). Essay: Women in the Horror Film – Ripley, the Alien & the Monstrous Feminine. Available: https://www.top10films.co.uk/1600-top10films-analysis-alien-feminism/  Last accessed 9th November 2018.

Goodreads. (N/A). Barbara Creed. Available: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/224451.Barbara_Creed  Last accessed 8th November 2018.

Katflei. (2013). Barbara Creed, “The Monstrous-Feminine”. Available: https://circleuncoiled.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/barbara-creed-the-monstrous-feminine/  Last accessed 8th November 2018.

L.Lavers. (2013). Monstrous feminine. Available: https://www.slideshare.net/lennylavers1234/monstrous-feminine Last accessed 8th November 2018.

Nielsen Book. B. Creed. (1993). The monstrous-feminine: film, feminism, psychoanalysis. London, Routledge. (1993) [Book] https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/3474195 Last accessed: 8^th November 2018. 

Studies in Fiction. (2011). The Monstrous Feminine (Barbara Creed 1993). Available: https://studiesinfiction.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/55/  Last accessed 8th November 2018. 

The Wheeler Centre. (N/A). Barbara Creed. Available: https://www.wheelercentre.com/people/barbara-creed Last accessed 8th November 2018.

X. Brooks. (2009). The First Action Heroine. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/oct/13/ridley-scott-alien-ripley  Last accessed 9th November 2018.

X. Galarado (2005). V. H. ‘Cultural History and the Alien Series.’ [Book] Science Fiction Studies, vol 32, no. 3, 2005, pp. 521-523. JSTOR, Available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/4241385  Last accessed 9^th November 2018.